Motorweek; 2905
- Transcript
It's. A clean diesel duo from BMW will take over a today and a utility to see if green performance is a reality. Will clean up the air and the street next door motor we. Have Gus Jacks lifts and ramps. This time on Goss's garage. I'm Stephen Nick and this week we get freaked out. With some things and jags raciest sedan will scratch the pavement with the Zamfara. So come drive with us next. Mulga. Week. TV's original automotive magazine brought to you by cars dotcom. Let's say you are looking for a car. Cars dotcom can help research Cloquet even contacted dealer cars dodge. Your host for Motor Week. John Davis. Well hello and welcome again to motor week. We're glad to have you with us. In
America. The availability of light duty diesels is confined to work trucks utilities and a very few passenger cars. Europeans however have embraced fuel sipping diesels for years and they are everywhere even in high performance machines. Well now BMW wants to spread that gospel here so let's see if diesels make a good fit for their kind of ultimate driving experience. BMW has coined the phrase efficient dynamics with vehicles like these in mind. The 2009 3:35 D and the 2009 x 5 x drive 35 D. These are the car makers first new generation 50 state clean diesel offerings both with the goal of being clean and green without compromising BMW whose legendary performance. Each is powered by a
3 liter twin turbo charged and interschool inline six diesel. It turns out 265 horsepower is a superset out four hundred twenty five pound feet of torque. That's over 40 percent more than the fourth leader gas V8 in the M3. Similar to Mercedes Benz an Audi BMW uses ad blue technology to reduce X emissions liquid urea stored in small tanks is sprayed into the after exhaust. That plus a particular filter also eliminates the old fashioned diesel smoke and smell a six speed automatic with manual mode delivers power to the rear wheels of a 3:35 D and do all four of the x 5 x drive 35 D. On the track. The sedan hit 60 in six seconds flat and darted through the quarter mile in fourteen point four seconds at 98 miles per hour. Both times are less than a second off the last 3:35 are we tested. Having so much torque in a
relatively light car really delivers the sensation of power shifts are quick and smooth. Through the slalom the 335 showed all the dynamics of a normal three series meaning it turns and quickly stays flat and charges the corners in a fast confident manner. Steering is very responsive. Well weighted and laser precise. Even as a diesel the 3 series is a sport sedan benchmark and braking is up to the same par Faid free rock solid stock from 60 to 0 average just 119 feet. The pedal is firm with short travel and no ABS pulsing. Inside and out. The 335 is virtually identical to the 335 eyes today that it does have recent updates like a revised front Vaishya and the return of more traditional L-shaped tail lines within this familiar three series gets and improved I-Drive system for access to radio navigation hand-phone. It's a similar clean diesel story
with BMW original sports activity vehicle the X5. On. The track are x 5 x drive 35 d ran from 0 to 60 and 6.7 seconds and capture the quarter mile and fifteen point one seconds said 93 miles per hour almost identical times to the X5 with a four point eight liter gas V-8. Once you get over the slight turbo lag off the line power is Kanun like here shifts are harder the sound grittier and definitely aggressive. It may be a utility but the X5 is known for its sports sedan character and this diesel is no different. Stephan planted the x 5 x drive 35 D has all the precision you expect in a BMW. Turn ons aren't as snappy as the three series but they're still impressive for something this large and heavy. There is some tendency to plow when nearing its limits but overall the diesel X-Fi feels tight and well-balanced braking however was a different story.
Stops from 60 Evertz or short one hundred twenty four feet. But there was noticeable fade and even momentary up. Aside from badging the x 5 x drive 35 is identical to the gas powered X5. We've gotten to know so well it shares the same sculpted body and an interior that is both roomy and luxurious. Government fuel economy ratings for the 3:35 sedan are 23 city thirty six highway. We achieved a thrifty thirty one point seven miles per gallon and real world driving energy impacts Gore is a moderate. Fourteen point six barrels of oil per year while its carbon footprint measures seven point eight annual tons of CO2. For the x 5 x drive 35 d utility government fuel economy ratings or 19 City 26 highway we'd be both with an impressive twenty seven point seven miles per gallon and that crosses the 16 mpg average of our long term six cylinder gas. The energy impacts Gore for the x 5 x drive 35 díaz seventeen point nine
barrels of oil consumed per year while its carbon footprint came in at 9.6 annual tonnes of CO2. Pricing. 335 begins at forty four thousand seven hundred twenty five dollars. That's thirty six hundred dollars more than the comparably equipped 335 on the x 5 x drive 35 D has a base sticker a fifty two thousand twenty five dollars a premium of thirty seven hundred dollars over its gas powered counterpart. Both qualify for government tax credits. Nine hundred dollars on the sedan and eighteen hundred dollars on the X fine. With the 335 D and x 5 x drive 35 D. BMW proves green driving doesn't have to come with compromises. Both models deliver the same BMW experience as their gas powered brethren. So high performance and high mileage. Now that's a green combination everyone can envy. Our success story of the week comes from Dallas County Texas where alternative fuels are a
priority. With the fifth largest school bus fleet in the country D.C.'s even makes its own biodiesel each week 400 gallons of donated waste vegetable oil is put through a maze of tanks tubes and filters to convert it to bio diesel which is then blended into 10 and 20 to fuel over a thousand buses. In April D.C.'s unveiled its flyer flyer a school bus with twin fuel systems one carrying Bio-Diesel the other one waste vegetable oil. Propane is also being used as an alternative to traditional petroleum fuels. This new propane powered bus is one of 600 such units with a further 100 buses due for conversion from gasoline. All of which makes Dallas County Schools a leader in providing clean and green benefits for North Texas and beyond. Time now for Goss's garage. Let's see what's up with Pat this week.
John back when this car was young in an emergency you lifted it with a bumper jack such as we see here. Well it wasn't much in its time and you know things haven't improved all that much over the years. Here's what we have in today's cars. These are snoozers jacked and they're OK I suppose in an emergency but never when you're working on your car working on the car you want a good high quality floor jack to lift it and make sure that it's AC approved so that it's safe. But once you get the car up in the air well you have to support it somehow. And here's one way not to do it. Do not use concrete blocks. But if you're one of those hired hands that insist Well you have to make sure that you use the concrete block in the same manner that you would build with it and put a piece of plywood or something over the top of it. See that's the only way to have any real strength
because in the other direction like we have them does doesn't take much and they disintegrate. But like I say I wouldn't use these at all. I would buy a set of ANSI approved jack stands and position them in the proper place under the vehicle then you can work on it safely. You know I couldn't run my repair shop without lefse such as we have here. And if you're serious do it yourself or while they're available for you as well. If you have a space you could have a lift such as this one this is an eagle. It's a ten thousand pound asymmetrical and it can be purchased for twenty five hundred dollars or less. So that makes it affordable but maybe you don't want to go that far. Well here's something else that you may want to consider. These are race ramps and race ramps are composite material.
They come in different configurations. This is a two piece set up that we have here. And in this particular case we're using it in combination with wheel cribs on the back so we can get under the entire vehicle. But this would be in the way on most ramps. But here with the race ramps we simply pull the extensions out and you have all of this open space. Pretty clever very light inexpensive at about 300 bucks. So something that you might want to consider if you do a lot of your own work. And if you have a question or comment right to me the address is motorway Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. 1 all of the dust of the Chrysler bankruptcy settled. It was still surprising that the one company that came to their rescue had largely been out of the U.S. car market for over a quarter century. That company is not true. There are alpha Bromell brand stuck around longer and Ferrari never lost
faith. But the Fiat car brand is nowhere to be found. Well that hasn't discouraged Fiat diehards however. And this week Steven Chapnick goes over the edge to find out why. If you remember Fiat cars at all. You'll recall that they were wonderful to. But cantankerous to own. For many it still stands for Fix It Again Tony. But for others it's a love of Italian cars that never stop. And for 26 years fans drivers and owners have been getting together for the Fiat freakout. But we got her fiance. Wants his Alfa Romeo and Ferrari so prepare. To be freaked out. This year they came to Valley Forge Pennsylvania for the concourse Della. Over 150 cars filled the grass for the launch on Limited's annual event. So you can say. How you. Gonna love this stuff. The Atlanta unlimited began in 1983 the same year
we stopped selling cars in America. Started by a few diehard fans to keep the brand alive. It's not croons a 400 member strong over the last 26 years. Everyone here is passionate about their Ffion. For some of us it harkens back to our very first cars. And just because the nameplate isn't Ffion doesn't mean they're not included. They're all under the corporate umbrella. We don't exclude a car just because it's not a Fiat or Lancia any Italian car or really any Italian based car is welcome here. That's exactly why you Evelyn brought his Ferrari 330 GTI down from New York City. Only the second Ferrari series to see for the popularity of the car group. But only one problem with its success. It's a fantastic car but it's not as revered in the Ferrari World because it's forcing. And that means it's I would say affordable and a relative term compared to some Ferrari's it's a relatively affordable car to buy.
All types of cars were on hand at the freakouts. Or DeLorean. It's got a Mr Fusion. A flux capacitor. Plenty of Plutonia. Close. But no. It's a per tone X 1:9 about the same time. The OP left America for tone took over production. Back to the future. Dorian was based on the Pheonix 1:9 Sessler dangler and got his ideas between the 1:9 And the launches and that contained can. He's not driving backwards. That's Mark years 1962. The not multiple. Bring it all the way down from Ottawa Canada. Angle for turn is good. And he's not the only person for make believe country who made the journey. Nick Pope came from Toronto and brought his 1972 Fiat Dino spine. Only 425 units were built. With a 2.4 leader V-6 engine a collaboration between Ferrari and Ffion.
It's like being a kid in a candy store you just can't wait. Yeah you want out you want to grab everything or anything you can. And when we get here there is no distinction between Canadian and American I mean we're all we're all friends we're we're like second family but when everyone was waiting for the return to the States. And boy did they get a tree from the 60s to the 70s to 2009. The Fiat 500 is definitely one of the highlights of the show. Chrysler was on hand for the event to promote the new 500 which had everyone buzzing about the future of the auto industry. This is probably the largest fight club in the country. So we thought it would be a good idea to bring that the 500 here. And create a little bit of brand recognition here in this country and to also get their opinions on what they think about it and what did everyone think if they were taking orders today my name would be on the list. I think the merger between Fiat and Chrysler is a fantastic idea because that's what Chrysler needs in there and their market is small subcompact cars that are reliable and safe.
So after a 26 year hiatus VI is coming back to North America but that won't stop anyone from getting there free go on for years to come. Small cars rise to the top this week beginning with our 2009 Honda Fit. We are pleased as punch with that fit especially with the versatility of its rear multi position magic seat plus driving it is a lot more like a giant slot car than a daily commuter. Honda has also done a great job of providing comfortable front seats for an entry level car but even with a near perfect driving position the fence and either shape makes the nose seem a long way away. After nearly eighteen thousand miles in ten months we've had no mechanical problems. And thirty one point three miles per gallon of regular makes a popular weekend sign up. The trade off is a 1.5 leader engine with 117 sometimes overtaxed horses that fit really strange when passing. Last week we compared three trendy box cars to find out which one was the purest city
car. Our pick was the Nissan Q But as new to our long term fleet this cube Chrome will have to endure all kinds of driving that includes interstate trips where the cube shows its limitations as speeds rise above 65 mph. Its tall stature gets shoved around by winds in smocks. But once speeds drop you end up to four friends will love exploring in the cube. Visibility is great. As for practicality the rear cargo hole is deep. Great for grocery bags. The folding rear seats then make way for as much cargo as some small utility. The 122 horsepower 1.8 leader and CVT transmission delivered good guns and after two months in 4000 miles our cubes thirty four point one mile per gallon economy is beating both ours and the government's expectations. We'll explore a bigger box the Mazda CX 9 and our biggest haul are this Dodge Ram On the next motor week long term road test update.
Now let's check in with Jessica Choksey for all the latest news. Well electric cars are not yet commonplace over the summer some 10 billion in grants and loans were announced by the U.S. Department of Energy to help change this. Their goal is to put more alternative fuel in electrically driven vehicles on American roads drawn from the Eight hundred billion dollar economic Recovery Act passed by Congress. Much of the funding will help accelerate efforts to make electric and. Hybrid cars. More practical. And affordable. From grants to establish U.S. manufacturing of advanced battery packs electric motors and controls to grants to demonstrate thousands of electric drive vehicles and install recharging infrastructure. The awards went to many familiar industry names as well as to start up companies. Notable is Tesla which received nearly half a billion dollars in loans for a new California manufacturing plant. It will expand production beyond its current all electric roadster to the already announced
Tesla S electric five door family hatchback as well as a future entry level electric car. General Motors received a variety of grants. Some are to further work on Chevrolet's Vold extended range hybrid due out in 2010. While others were for longer ranged projects. The Allison transmission plant near Baltimore will share 105 million dollar grant. With a plant in Michigan to develop next generation real world drive hybrid electric system for trucks. Our home state of Maryland was also awarded a grant to help push commercial fleets towards purchasing new heavy duty hybrid vehicles from New York to California. Local governments also receive funds to promote the use of cleaner feels like compressed natural gas. Some of the grants also went towards education. West Virginia University will use part of its grant to train first responders and how to approach an accident involving high voltage advanced hybrid and electric vehicles. Without proper training. Fear of electrocution can delay help for accident victims.
Hopefully the grants will not only fuel the rapid development of advanced American battery and electric car components technology but also drastically reduced the need for imported oil for daily transportation. And that's it for this week's Mudar News. From the record setting S-K 120 of the late 40s to today's K coupe Jaguar's unique blend of British luxury and globe trotting speed has been the core of the leaping catch. DNA when Ford sold Jaguar to Indian automaker Ta-Ta Motors last June. Those whose blood runs British Racing Green wondered what will become of the brand's high performance heritage. While we think the new Saffar clears things up very well. While overall we love the fresh design approach of the new Access series Sadan we felt the 400 horsepower supercharged V8 we tested earlier this year with a bit
soft on Jaguar's legendary performance. But now with the R treatment being applied to the x f all looks much wider with the world. The 2010 Jaguar SFR supercharged direct injected five leader V8 pumps out five hundred ten horsepower a jump of 110 and 461 pound feet of torque and it all comes into play almost instantly when you nail the gas pedal with full torque from 2500 rpm up. To put it in further perspective. The SFR has a 10 horsepower and 78 LB foot advantage over the mighty 10 BMW M5 the Cadillac c v however makes 46 more horsepower and 90 more units of torque. And. This fearsome feline can really sink its teeth into the dragstrip low in price gets the accent off the line in a big hurry dispatching 60 miles per hour and a quick 4.5 seconds. That's comparable to the AM fight. The quarter mile
disappeared in a scant twelve point nine seconds at 120 miles per hour through the tracks. Jets are quick and smooth in basic speed automatic delivering high revving get on power. Battleship is really keep a driver involved but they didn't have any effect on the numbers. Our exclusive performance features include 30 percent stiffer continuously variable shocks a trick electronic rear differential there ranges from lock to wide open and dynamic mode that stiffens the springs even further. Add to the equation massive amounts of wide low profile rubber and circling the car's 20 inch wheels and you need all of that plus driver skills to discipline the accent Farr's enormous torque through the cones with just a little too much throttle and the SFR breaks loose like a fast can on find marble. Steering is nicely weighted but we would have loved more feedback turn and are almost too quick so the driver needs to really concentrate on getting this beast. Our first example had great brakes and with larger
rotors front and rear the accent far does even better. An excellent 116 foot average from 60 with a short term pedal and minimal nosedive. The Saffar shares the regular ex-wifes graceful rooflines sharp shoulders. Can I headlight all which make for a stunning 21st century Jack saloon. But the SFR is simply a meaner machine than its less powerful counterpart. There are also red green and silver are badges reworked side sills and quad tailpipes. From inside the whine of the supercharger is balanced with a gentlemanly growl of a direct injected cylinders. The cabin is a reminder of Jaguar's commitment to elegance. Stitz leather and blue mood lighting are joined by wide swatches of aluminum and wood trim on the dash and doors seats are aggressively bolstered and smothered in love. Our tester came equipped with Bluetooth satellite navigation a rear view camera system and Bowers and Wilkins 440 watt stereo the popoff rotary gear selector is
still there. It's an eclectic touch but it works fine. Space wise the rear seats are OK for two adults. Good on headroom a little tight for the legs. They split 60 40 and fall flat to expand the already adequate seventeen point six cubic feet of luggage space. Government fuel economy ratings for the x f are 15 city 21 highway on premium gas you can expect a thirsty 17 miles per gallon in real world driving. The SFR is energy impact scores a high twenty point one barrels of oil consumed per year its carbon footprint is ten point eight tons of CO2 emitted annually. On sale now the X F R has a base sticker of eighty thousand dollars even. It's certainly no bargain but the price seems fair for what this cat delivers. So Jaguar diehards needn't worry that 2010 SFR stays true to form. A lot of go and a lot of British style. But this cat doesn't pussyfoot around. This time the art treatment makes it a
driver's car all the way. So while Jaguar has a new owner the SFR says its heritage is intact. I hope you'll join us here next week for more motorway. One more test in American sweetheart. The Chevrolet Camaro has sat. Out. On the high road our old friend Craig Singh Hodge Chronicles over 40 years of Camaro. History. Also test the surprisingly sporty Hyundai Elantra touring Gaza explains why a minor accident can be a major headache. Plus we'll have another long term road test update and all the latest motor news. I'm John Davis. We'll see you then. To learn more about the week TV's original automotive magazine visit PBS not. To order a DVD of this program call 1 800 8 7 3 6 1 5 4. Motorway has been brought to you by cars dot com.
Let's say you are looking for a car. Cars com can help research OK even contact a dealer cars dodge. This program was produced by American Public Television which is solely responsible for its content. We part PBS
- Series
- Motorweek
- Episode Number
- 2905
- Producing Organization
- Maryland Public Television
- Contributing Organization
- Maryland Public Television (Owings Mills, Maryland)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/394-719kdcjb
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip/394-719kdcjb).
- Description
- Episode Description
- MotorWeek, television's original automotive magazine: Additional Formats: 16x9 DigiBeta PBS CC, 16x9 Speed CC.
- Series Description
- "MotorWeek is a magazine feauring segments on automotive news, reviews, and road tests."
- Broadcast Date
- 2009-09-28
- Asset type
- Episode
- Genres
- Magazine
- Topics
- Transportation
- Media type
- Moving Image
- Duration
- 00:27:21
- Credits
-
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Copyright Holder: Maryland Public Television
Producing Organization: Maryland Public Television
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
Maryland Public Television
Identifier: MOTORWEEK #2905 16977 (MPT)
Format: Digital Betacam
Generation: Master
Duration: 00:28:46
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Identifier: cpb-aacip-394-719kdcjb_20200729.mp4 (mediainfo)
Format: video/mp4
Generation: Proxy
Duration: 00:27:21
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- Citations
- Chicago: “Motorweek; 2905,” 2009-09-28, Maryland Public Television, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 18, 2026, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-394-719kdcjb.
- MLA: “Motorweek; 2905.” 2009-09-28. Maryland Public Television, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 18, 2026. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-394-719kdcjb>.
- APA: Motorweek; 2905. Boston, MA: Maryland Public Television, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-394-719kdcjb